LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Newly formed nonprofit, Kentucky Tennis & Pickleball Center, Inc. (KYT&PC), is leading a 25-acre development project that is expected to revitalize the historic Louisville Tennis Center at Joe Creason Park. This is an effort to better serve tennis and pickleball players, driven by a team of local tennis and pickleball advocates and Louisville business leaders – including Will Davis, Dr. Mark Lynn, Ed Glasscock, Bob Willis, John English, Kevin Collins, Susan Moss, David Dick, and Fred Davis, among others.
The project will be a community hub, used for competitive and recreational play for players of all ages, abilities, and skill levels. The proposed project includes 12 indoor and 24 outdoor tennis courts, 14 indoor and four outdoor pickleball courts. It will also have a fully staffed health club, sports medicine clinic, vision training lab, and virtual reality training area, as well as a family restaurant, locker rooms, pro shop, kids’ club, and community room.
“This facility is being built for everyone,” says Will Davis, CEO of Kentucky Tennis & Pickleball Center, Inc. “From local families and underserved youth to collegiate athletes and professional players, the Kentucky Tennis & Pickleball Center will offer something for everyone. We aim to make Louisville a premier destination for tennis and pickleball while enriching lives through community-focused programming. This project will also be another big step toward a healthier Kentucky. The Mayo Clinic Proceedings reports that playing tennis extends life expectancy by 9.7 years, more than any other sport in the study. The physical and mental health benefits of racquet/paddle sports are one reason that tennis just experienced its fifth consecutive year of growth, with participation growing to a new high of 25.7, a nearly 2 million player increase from 2023. Participation in pickleball has grown more than 200 percent in the last three years, to 13 million.”
An economic impact analysis conducted by TAG Management projects that the state-of-the-art facility will generate annually more than $17 million in visitor spending, more than 70,000 hotel stays, $1.2 million in Louisville bed tax revenue, and $1 million in Kentucky sales tax. The project is also expected to create approximately 450 construction jobs and more than 75 permanent positions once operational.
“This project would build upon the wonderful history of recreational and competitive tennis at Joe Creason Park with a world-class project,” says Mayor Greenberg. “It is about more than courts – it’s about promoting wellness and creating real economic momentum for our city. I’m proud to support a project that will make Louisville a national leader in tennis, pickleball, and community-centered development, and I look forward to receiving neighborhood and community input to learn about their hopes and goals for this project.”
Project fundraising and final design will continue in 2026. Construction is expected to begin by 2027, with the newly renovated sports complex opening in 2028.
